Only a game and a half behind defending champion Miami in the Eastern Conference standings, the Knicks are still enjoying one of their best campaigns in years. But consecutive losses to Sacramento and Portland, the latter at home on New Year’s Day, represents their lowest point of the season.

With point guard Raymond Felton sidelined by a broken finger, the Knicks must now re-integrate power forward Amare Stoudemire back into the lineup. In most cases, the return of a career 21.-5 point scorer would be cause for celebration. But considering how poorly he seems to mesh with franchise talisman Carmelo Anthony, some are wondering if it might actually be a negative.

Regardless of what Stoudemire does or doesn’t do, the Knicks will continue to revolve around Anthony (see below) and their 3-point oriented offense. They lead the league in makes and attempts from beyond the arc while ranking fourth with a 38.8 percentage. Keep it up, and they’ll go down as the most prodigious long-range shooting team in NBA history. The Spurs got a taste of just how deadly New York can be in the previous meeting, during which the Knicks drilled four 3s in the final six minutes to rally from a 12-point deficit.

Their defense, however, continues to lag. The Knicks had been able to overcome that with offense early on, winning five of their first eight games in which they yielded 100 or more points. But they’ve lost the last five, a bad omen against a Spurs team that is hitting its offensive stride over the past six games.

* Anthony is averaging 35.1 points on 52-percent shooting over the past eight games. The hot streak has bumped his season average to 29.2 points per game, the highest of his career and second only to Kobe Bryant’s 30.3. Anthony has failed to score in double-figures just once this season, in the first meeting with the Spurs (9 points, 3 for 12 FGs).

* A prime factor in New York’s drop from fifth to 20th in defensive efficiency over the past two seasons is the decline in Tyson Chandler’s form. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is averaging a career-worst 0.9 blocks per game while registering his highest defensive rating since 2008-09. Not surprisingly, the Knicks are allowing three more points in the paint this season.

* With Felton on the bench indefinitely, the Knicks couldn’t reasonably ask for a better insurance policy at point guard than Jason Kidd. It’s still going to be a tough assignment for the 39-year-old. He started off well enough, averaging 19.5 points and 7.5 assists in two starts before going scoreless in 33 minutes in Tuesday’s home loss to Portland.